Plenty to chew on at Towpath Rotary Farmers Market
Sean Connelly, co-owner of Magnolia Spring Farm, has fresh-cut flowers from a sustainable, organic flower farm he and his wife own near Magnolia.
The Towpath Rotary Club Farmers Market is back this year every Monday through the end of August from 4-7 p.m. The market takes place in the Ohio Billing parking lot at 10911 state Route 212 just outside Bolivar.
The market is focused on bringing in local food and produce vendors from the area. “We have quite a few returning vendors along with some new ones this year,” said Gabrielle Ferguson, organizer of the event and director of operations at Ohio Billing.
Haff’s Hot Sauce of New Philadelphia is one of the returning vendors. Owner Bryan Mehaffey makes small batches using local ingredients.
“The sauces go from green to red, mild to dead,” said Mahaffey. “And bad jokes like that are the secret ingredient.” Even the names of the sauces range from funny to frightening, including Trippy Pickle, Indigo Fire, Painapple and the hottest of all, More Cowbell.
“We’re in our third year and the business has grown tremendously,” said Mehaffey, who is also a distributor for Crack Corn, kernel-less, gluten-free popcorn puffs that come in a variety of flavors, from French Toast to Sea Salt and Caramel and Ice Cream Sundae.
Healer’s Mark of Uhrichsville is another vendor, selling home-crafted herbal self-care products. Owner, Stefenie Armstrong, said she forages for many of the ingredients herself and grows her own herbs, buying what she can’t grow or find from local farms.
Saunter down a little way and you’ll find Pies by April. April Houston sells two sizes of home-baked pies in mouthwatering flavors, from strawberry-rhubarb to lemon crumb and concord grape.
A few more steps and you’ll see gorgeous cut flower bouquets from Magnolia Spring Farm. Owners Sean Connelly and Marissa Hollinger-Connelly have a 100-acre farm outside Magnolia dedicated to growing organic and sustainable cut flowers. “We also have a farm stand on the property and a wedding and party venue, and we sell cut flowers on a subscription basis,” Sean Connelly said.
Audrey Ernst is back this year with Audrey’s Baked Creations, which include muffins, cookies and cake pops. “I started the business in 2019 while I was still in high school,” said Ernst, who is now attending Kent State University and majoring in Entrepreneurship. “I hope to grow the business enough so it can become my livelihood,” she said.
Bolivar residents Beth Kiggans and her daughter, Leda McConaha, are frequent visitors to the market. “We come mostly for Audrey’s cookies and the food trucks,” said Kiggans. “It’s also important to support local business.”
Additional regular vendors include ThreePeas Market Garden with locally grown fresh produce, Ellington Farms with local meats and Grown by Grace with potted plants.
Shoppers can also grab a bite to eat at the Don Polos Mexican Cuisine food truck. “We are bringing in food trucks because there are really only a couple of restaurants open in Bolivar on Monday nights,” said Jon Elsasser, current president of the Towpath Rotary Club.
Elsasser said they are always looking for reliable vendors and would welcome more to the market. “I’d love see a few more local produce vendors.”
Vendors looking to join the market can contact Ferguson or Mary Mayles at 330-874-1140.
If planning to visit the farmers market, take along some green of your own. While many vendors accept payment by credit card, debit card or Venmo, not all are set up to do so.
The Towpath Rotary Club relies on proceeds from the farmers market and other events to fund local projects, which include sponsoring the Tusky Valley High School speech tournament each year and maintaining the Canal Lands Park at the corner of Dover-Zoar and Towpath roads.